


Confessions

by reigningqueenofwords



Series: Into the Blue [7]
Category: Supernatural, The Walking Dead
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:20:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24478591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reigningqueenofwords/pseuds/reigningqueenofwords
Relationships: Daryl x Jo
Series: Into the Blue [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1413208





	Confessions

Pulling up to the field, she had butterflies in her stomach. “Can you grab the cooler from the back?” Jo smiled over to him. She had changed into a bikini under jean shorts and a tank. Slipping out of the car, she slipped her phone into her back pocket. She gathered all her courage and laced her fingers with his.

Daryl ha said he wasn’t good at expressing how he felt, so Jo wanted to let him relax. He’d been dealing with shit at work, and then coming home and putting on a smile for Dixon. He never got to just sit back and have nothing to worry about.

There was a cool breeze moving her hair around her. Jo smiled over her shoulder at her. Her love for him shining before she looked forward again.

Daryl watched her walking slightly ahead, his eyes moving down down her arm, to her fingers entwined with his own. He’d lost count of how many times he’d been in her company since coming back and felt like he was undeserving of her forgiveness, of her respect. He gripped her hand a little tighter.

“Where ya takin’ me?” He couldn’t help but smile and Jo could hear it in his voice despite having her back to him as she lead the way.

Jo chuckled. “Somewhere I’ve never taken anyone else except Dixon…. But he hadn’t been born yet.”

Daryl moved forward so he was walking in step beside her, a smile on his face. “Really?” For a second Jo saw a childlike innocence in Daryl and it was like looking at Dixon when his face lit up she smiles and nods her head, another pang of affection working through her as she feels herself falling more in love with the man stood next to her.

Jo didn’t say anything for another few minutes. “Here we are.” She told him. “I used to come here when I was pregnant. I could sit here for _hours_ and be perfectly content.” She told him as her eyes washed over the tall grass flowing in the breeze. There were tiny white flowers all over, with wild flowers mixed in. The sky was a crisp blue with a few tufts of clouds here and there. “Through there is a huge fallen tree. Over there is a creek, and if we kept walking, we would come to a cliff.”

Daryl allowed himself a moment to take it in. He thought about what it must have been like during that time when she was coming here, pregnant with Dixon all her hopes of the future gone, her path of life changed, by that one fateful night six years ago. He pulled Jo to him, her head resting against his chest, just the sound of the gentle breeze around them.

“You ain’t a dumb blonde, by the way.” He said quietly, as she had called herself that before he stormed out.

Jo smiled softly to herself, her heart fluttering. And she honestly didn’t care too much about Chase eyeing her. Only one of the guys knew what she looked like naked. And that was pre-stretch marks.

Daryl planted a kiss on top of her head, closing his eyes a second to breathe in the smell of her shampoo, everything about her was intoxicating to him. He rubbed his hand down her arm.

“So…What else have you got planned for us?” Jo smiled and looked up into Daryl’s face, her brown eyes smiling.

“What you mean in general or right now?” He smiled at her and gestured to their surroundings with his eyes.

“Right now, beautiful.” Jo blushes at the compliment.

“Depends on how hungry you are.” Jo told him. “If you’re starving, we’ll eat and then I wanted to show you around.” Her arms went around his waist. “Tell you about what drew me to my favorite spots, and maybe enjoy the creek. If not, we could eat by the creek last.”

Daryl nodded his head, his stomach grumbling slightly. “Now ya mention it, I am pretty hungry…What did ya bring?”

“I brought roast beef and cheese sandwiches. Lettuce and tomato if you want it, chips, and soda.” Jo told him as she moved to sit in the grass. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, her hands taking the cooler from him. “Get comfortable. Relax. You don’t get to enough.”

Daryl settles down on the floor and watches as Jo pulls food from the carry case she brought with her, she passes him a soda and smiles. He pops the lid and takes a sip, resting on his elbows, his head back and eyes closed. Jo takes a moment to watch him, as if sensing she’s watching him he opens his eyes and looks at her feeling slightly self conscious, he sits up.

“Do ya need a hand?” Jo shook her head as she put a few things together on a paper plate for him.

“No, I’m good…Here ya go!” She passed him the plate of food and he smiled, taking it.

“Damn, this looks good…Thanks!”

She smiled. “It’s a sandwich, Daryl.” Jo teased lightly. “Wait until I make stuffed cheeseburgers.” Her cheeseburgers had three kinds of cheese in the patty itself and was so good. “Or Thanksgiving for turkey.” Jo blushed, looking down at her own plate before making her sandwich.

Daryl chewed on the sandwich, nodding his head and smiling “You had me at stuffed cheeseburgers!” She smiled and settled down next to him, taking a sip of her soda as she brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear.

“So, erm…Do you think you’ll be here at Thanksgiving? I mean I’d understand if you wanted to visit family or something.” She hoped her tone is more casual instead of probing. Daryl swallowed his food and looked around him.

“Merle’s all the family I got…I had. I made my choice. I’m stayin’ for Dixon and for you.”

Jo nodded. “I feel bad it came down to that.” She told him. “Although, I have a feeling I’d wind up tearing him a new one if I met him.” As she spoke, she picked at her sandwich. “I know Dixon will be happy, too.”

“You’d tear him a new one huh?” He nodded his head, breathing in and smiling. “All that matters to me right now is getting to know Dixon…I’ve…I’ve already missed out on so much. Ya know, I’m actually really lookin’ forward to Christmas…I urgh…I’ve been thinkin’ of gifts to get him.”

Jo leaned her head on his shoulder. “You have stepped into the dad role very well.” She told him. “Speaking of gifts- what would you like?”

Daryl’s head snapped to look at her “What do you mean what would I like?” Jo chuckled and nodded her head.

“Exactly what it means…Is there anything you want for Christmas?” Daryl went silent for a moment, looking into the distance.

“I ugh…I mean…I ain’t ever had anythin’ for Christmas…” He looked away, trying to avoid the look of sympathy he knows she will give him. The truth is growing up, there wasn’t much money going round and what money there was his dad would drink it at a bar. Him and Merle just treated Christmas like any other day, the only difference was their mom would always have bought a pie for dessert.

Biting her lip, she took their plates and put them off to the side. Jo moved so that she was sitting on his thighs, her hands on his waist. “Well, now you will. Tell me something you’d like, or I’ll be forced to buy you the ugliest sweater I can.” She smiled.

Daryl shook his head and laughed lightly “I dunno…I..” He looked away again, and Jo put her hand to his face, making his eyes meet hers again.

“Tell me.” Daryl regarded her for a second before taking a deep breath. When he spoke Jo had to lean forward slightly to hear him, he looked down as he said it, struggling with the words, with being so open about how he really feels.

“Honestly…All I ever wanted was family…and a proper dinner…Tha’s all and I got that now with Dixon…And with you…I don’t need anythin’ else.”

Running her fingers through his hair, she smiled at him. “I’m sure I can think of something to get you.” Jo said gently. “Come on.” Getting up, she held out her hand for him. “For now, i’ll give you happy thoughts to make up for missed Christmases and birthdays.”

Daryl allowed himself to be dragged up to his feet as Jo walked in front pulling the tank top over her head and smiling over shoulder. “C’mon country boy, time to have some fun!”

He watched her for a minute, his mind snapping back to that first night. A fondness washed over him before he followed. Daryl found her leaning against the large fallen tree. “I started coming to the field because it was calming. I kept coming because it made me think of you.” Jo told him. “Then I found this tree a couple months after I started coming here.” She looked down at it as her fingertips ran over the bark. “it made me think of running through the trees.”

Daryl walks over to her and leans against the tree. “I never stopped thinkin’ about you..I wanted to come back for so long..I just…I guess I was just too weak. Merle was all I’d ever known.” Jo nodded her head, accepting his words, his truth. She felt some of the anger and hurt she’d carried inside her dissolve slightly, Merle was all he’d ever known. He’d been his mom, his dad and his brother, but from the bits of information she’d gathered over the past month, he’d never really shown Daryl any true love, or respect. Affection and compliments seemed foreign to him.

“Well…Now you know us. Me and Dixon and this place.” She turned to look at the surroundings again. “This can be ours.” Daryl smiled and came forward, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head against her shoulder.

“We should bring Dixon here…All three of us.” Jo placed her hands on top of his, enjoying the feeling of his body behind her, enjoying the plans he is making of their future. She turned and looks into his eyes, so blue and clear.

“We will…But for today it’s ours!”

Jo pecked his lips gently. “I’m not done, though.” She grinned, her eyes lighting up. “Come on.” Taking his hand, she led him towards the creek. They heard it before they saw it. She pulled off her shoes and sat on the side, letting her feet dangle. “This became my favorite spot when I was visibly pregnant.” Jo chuckled. “I’d think of the lake, and how you seemed rough around the edges at first, but I could tell there was more to you.”

Daryl smiled “I guess ya do know me…Or at least don’t just think the worse of me like most people do…Sorry for what I said..I’m an idiot.”

“But you’re _my_ idiot.” Jo blurted out before thinking. Her face got warm, her eyes snapping shut. She was waiting for him to correct her. She had no claim over him. At all. Her insides were going insane. “Sorry….” She sighed. “I guess it’s not just Dean who doesn’t think before he speaks.” Would this scare him off? Would he think she was calling him an idiot? Seconds felt like hours, her heart sounding like drums in her ears. Clearing her throat, she shook her head and slipped her shoes back on before standing up. “How about we head to the cliff?” Jo quickly suggested, brushing off her backside and legs. She hoped he wouldn’t make a huge deal about her stupid mouth.

He reached out grabbed her arm, his eyes burning into hers.

“Am I?” Jo’s blush deepened as she looked at him questioningly.

“Are you what?” He spoke softly in his response, as though the word was delicate and would smash into a thousand pieces.

“Yours?”

She swallowed. “If you wanna be.” Jo spoke softly, a shy smile on her face. Her hands gripped the sides of his shirt, wanting to keep him close. Daryl was too overcome and all he could do was nod his head as he pulled her close and says.

“Yeah…yeah, I’d like that…But only if ya will be mah girl?”

Jo couldn’t help but grin. “I’ve wanted that for a very long time.” She blushed before putting her hand on his jaw. Her thumb stroked his cheek. “Guess you don’t need to sleep on the couch, huh?”

He brought his eyes to meet hers, color creeping into his face. For so long he’s wanted to fall asleep next to her and now here faced with that option he can’t quite believe it.

“You sure? We can take things slower, get more used to each other?” Jo shakes her head slightly and smiles resting her head against his chest.

“I’m sure, it’s time we started living like a real family.” A sense of calm eased over him gently as he held Jo in his arms, the missing piece finally in place, he got what he always wanted, a home.


End file.
